Last year, I posted this thread at Style.com's fashion forum. While most people seemed to be okay with what I wrote, there were a few sour apples who thought that petite women should just invest in a good tailor, especially Caramel, who seemed to be tired of my petite ranting...
Here's part of her post:
...and most people do have to have their clothes altered not always necessarily because of height but because we come in different body structures, for example, one of my closest friend is 5"8(and would not be considered short by most), she has legs that go on for miles but has a really short torso. I just think that its not the fashion industry that doesn't get it, but it's you, these people are in the market to make money, so they have to cater to people all around the world, so maybe the average height or size of a woman in the US may be 5"4 and 160 lbs but that may not be the average in italy, france, japan, sweden etc which they also have to distribute to. And lenght wise its easier to work yourself down (meaning a longer lenght to shorter) than work yourself up. you can have pants hemmed, the waist lowered, a blouse shorten etc, but you can't really elongate a blouse or pants
But that's tame (and what most petites regular get and seem to accept...NO WONDER THERE'S A LACK OF STYLISH PETITE SIZES!) compared to what some other people have written on that same forum. On the thread about short models, you'll find that it's worse, especially the posts from Valerio and some others, which start on this page.
Here's a sample:
It was a pleasure to read all your comments in this topic. Okay now about the height of a model in general, you have to be at least 5'8" but not taller then 6'1" Especially runway models are (most of the time) between these heights, and that's because of a designer makes designs only for 1 size and height. It will be a little difficult and expensive to produce for several heights and sizes, simply said......
I responded to Valerio by talking about celebs who've been spokesmodels......
Here was Valerio's response:
Okay that's your opinion and I appreciate it. But please don't mention Avril Lavigne, our rockgirl who wears sometimes a dress of Gucci or Dior. She isn't even an runwaymodel. In my previous post I was talking about REAL models not about celebs, actresses and so on. I thought you were a fashion lover, but I think it's just the opposite. Just one question do you really think that a model of (lets say) 5"1" can show the collection of whoever designer with the grace and the expression taller models do ? I would say to you buy or lent a few books of the fashion industry and about designers. Oh and please in the future read my postings carefully, because I have the feeling that you didn't understand what I was saying. Ciao
By the way, Valerio goes on to call me a fanatic....HA! I actually think I like that :)
here's a post from another poster, BarbaraStachicin:
777_LDY I agree 100%- No petite models on the runways of high fashion pleeeeeeaaaaaseeeee!!! That would just ruin the fantasy. And I'm also petite...5'4" 105 lbs....
I really don't understand people in the industry...have they really been THAT BRAINWASHED? And what happens if a specialty sized designer came along? I remember posts from Fashion Incubator last year when one of the girls from Tamiece asked about petite models. Some of the responses weren't all that positive either.
